"I don't like where we're at right now": Clark Lea pushes back on the CFP model after Vanderbilt’s exclusion despite a 10-win season

The Vanderbilt Commodores are one of the biggest stories of the 2025 college football season. Led by Heisman Trophy frontrunner Diego Pavia, the Commodores have compiled a 10-2 record, and they're just outside the AP Top 12.

However, Commodores head coach Clark Lea isn't a fan of where the program is. Speaking to ESPN, Lea said,

"If you would've told me before the season that a 10-win SEC team doesn't get in, I would've said there is no way. For us to be on the wrong side of this right now is upsetting."

According to Pro Football and Sports Network, Vanderbilt has a 0% chance of making the College Football Playoff. The program is currently ranked 14th by the CFP Selection Committee, sitting at 10-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play.

Furthermore, the Commodores trail another SEC favorite, the Texas Longhorns (9-3), in the ranking. It's crystal clear that the Commodores will have to settle for a bowl game in January.

Vanderbilt Commodores enjoyed their best season under Clark Lea

The Vanderbilt Commodores have competed in college football since 1890. They’ve recorded four nine-win seasons but never a ten-win season. Their two most recent nine-win campaigns came under future College Football Hall of Famer James Franklin in 2012 and 2013.

Clark Lea led Vanderbilt to their highest regular-season win total ever. They also achieved the feat by beating ranked opponents, the South Carolina Gamecocks, the LSU Tigers, the Missouri Tigers, and the Tennessee Volunteers. Their losses this season were against the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas Longhorns.

Lea achieved this historic feat despite posting 2-10 records in two of his first three seasons with the Commodores. His fourth campaign was a turning point as the team went 6-6 in the regular season before winning a bowl game. This campaign is a continuation of the progress made over the years.

Commodores’ fans will now shift their attention to their star quarterback, Diego Pavia's Heisman Trophy race. The fact that Pavia isn't playing in the playoffs has little effect on his candidacy. Last year's winner, Travis Hunter, never played a playoff game in his collegiate career, and he still topped the playoff-bound Ashton Jeanty.